Hey, I recently purchased some Old English Game Bantam hatching eggs [for Christmas presents for my kids actually LOL!].

I didn't read the auction well, and it turns out these are "show quality" eggs and the seller said I would need to do things differently and take "extra care" to hatch show quality eggs...

Which I'm totally willing to do, but I have no clue what this means.

Do any of you know what special care I should take in trying to hatch Old English Game Bantam eggs that are show quality?

My set up is this: I have a hovabator still air incubator and I turn the eggs by hand 3 times or more every day. This works pretty well for me with "regular" eggs and I usually get pretty good hatches.

What do I need to know to hatch these special show quality eggs?

I am praying for at least 2 of the 12 to hatch and survive... more would be great, but I have two kids who would be kinda sad if none hatch. [They already have a pet chicken each that they take brilliant care of, but they both wanted some OEGs. We have one OEG hen right now and she has the most personality of any of our hens, she's our very favorite.]

I didn't read the auction well, and it turns out these are "show quality" eggs and the seller said I would need to do things differently and take "extra care" to hatch show quality eggs...

Which I'm totally willing to do, but I have no clue what this means.

Gee, neither do I. You hatch every chicken egg exactly the same way. And you wont know a chick is show quality till it's grown. I think they are blowing smoke. I take that back; I know they are blowing smoke! Those eggs are no different than any other.​

they probably mean take extra care as in "Dont drop them, Be very careful with them, etc" Pretty much what you should do with any eggs. other then that show qaulity eggs are never any different then non show quality eggs... However people should stop labeling them show qaulity eggs they should be "Eggs from Show lines"

If someone says their eggs take extra care to hatch I'd assume their breeding program was not so great and the offspring were genetically weak. Certain breeds are harder to hatch for various reasons but there should be no difference in hatching eggs from show quality birds. If breeders were responsible it should be easier to hatch them since they'd only breed the hardiest birds but most get lost in color or body type and forget the technical bits like actually producing viable offspring so the breed can continue. It happens with all species of animals.

i'm a newbie to all of this, but if this helps: i am trying to hatch some "show quality" chicks right now, due to hatch any minute. i am returning them to the owner of the parents after hatching, and even then she said nothing to me about hatching them any differently at all.